


You Were Bred For Me

by misskuryo



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Human Pets, Human Trafficking, Humanstuck, Master/Slave, Multi, Sort of Kind of, i'll probably add more as i go because its still a work in progress, semi-utopia, social caste, sub/dom themes, this is really hard to tag
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-03
Updated: 2014-04-21
Packaged: 2018-01-17 23:39:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1406923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misskuryo/pseuds/misskuryo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"No mating pets with other pets unauthorized. There's a branch in your local government building created specifically for pet breeding and handling. Also, your credibility number will be effected if your pet does something illegal or against common morals. If your credibility number becomes too low, you will be charged and Dave will be euthanized. If you are incarcerated even once, Dave will be detained and be ineligible for adoption again. You won't be allowed to adopt another pet. Also, don't forget the golden rule; no romantic relations with your pet. The law forbids it."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> i might continue this i might not it depends if i either feel like it or if people actually find this au interesting
> 
> let me know if you like it and i wouldn't mind pumping out some more word vomit for this yeh
> 
> also this isn't beta'd or proofread or anything so if there's spelling/grammar errors or it just seems to be phrased odd that's probably why

###  ==> Be the dorky owner kid 

This was it. Today was the day. You were excited. Filled to the brim with the emotion. There was no holding you back today. Your name is John Egbert, a child from a long line of credible owners, and today is your eighteenth birthday. Why was this so special? Glad the question was asked! Your _Naviband_ just alerted you that you're _finally_ eligible to adopt a pet!

Your father agreed to lend you the money in celebration for this momentous occasion in your life and while you initially denied the gesture, after much persistence he managed to get you to cave. Due to this turn of events, you currently find yourself standing in one of the higher class pet shops due to your family crest having such a high credibility number. You always believed this was also due to your being descended from the ancestor that some refer to as the 'Batterwitch'.

Your father speaks with the pet of the pet shop owner. It seems she was given the job of working with the pets. There were so many different ones to choose from. Sorted by sex, then rave and then ethnicity. You brush your fingers against the glass cages and hum the first tune that comes to your head as you browse. The worker pet barks at you to not touch the glass _please_ and you jump with a playful giggle. You retract your hand and continue walking. Your father expects you to get a female to look at, but none of them interest you. There's always something wrong. Hair is too curly, skin too dark or too light, too short, too tall, too normal. You want someone exotic. Someone different. Someone exciting!

Looking back in the direction of your father you note that he's too distracted to notice as you not-so-subtly slip yourself into the side with the males. 'Technically,' you think to yourself, 'he can't really deny. This is my decision after all.' The thought makes you smile a little bit.

The males are a little more interesting in your opinion. Not because you're gay or anything. Besides, romantic relations weren't legal between owner and pet. Not that this law stops some people in private. They just look more aesthetically appealing, in your opinion. You just assume it's because you're male yourself. 

You pass by a few different cages with darker skinned pets, but they don't appeal to you as much. As you work your way into the lighter palette, you immediately stop at a collection of Southern Americans. There was a flash in your line of sight. A red. A breathtaking crimson red. You turn and scan the group. After a moment of searching your eyes land on a boy about your age with the blondest hair you've seen yet. His skin is surprisingly pale for a southerner. Then again... he grew up his entire life in a cage so you suppose it's not that unnatural. Tans weren't a given unless they were natural like Jade's, Karkat's pet. 

Light freckles dust across his skin. He reminds you of a salt and pepper shaker for some odd reason. He's considerably underweight unlike everyone else. You assume perhaps he refuses to eat the food they give him? You feel a small surge of anger run through you at the thought. He doesn't deserve to be deprived of a life, you think. When he turns to glance at you like everyone else, you see those bright red eyes lock in a stubborn gaze with yours and it's like something clicked inside of you. You just... you _knew._

"He's the one." You mumble a bit, then turn your attention towards your dad's direction. "Dad!"

It felt almost instantaneous that he finds his way to your side. He looks slightly displeased, but you can manage.

"That one," you point at the boy, "with the red eyes. Him. I want him." Your dad simply gives you an odd look from the corner of his eyes.

"Are you sure, son-"

"Yes." Your answer is quick enough to even surprise yourself. "Yes, him. Definitely. It has to be him. I won't take anyone else."

Your dad glances over to the shop pet that is approaching behind him. She looks a bit dejected and you briefly wonder if you interrupted some lively conversation. However another glance at the pet you chose and your worries blow away in the wind immediately. "Have you made a choice?" She asks and you nod quickly in response.

"The one with the red eyes." You point him out, much to her surprise. She asks if you're sure and you are. She shifts nervously a little then sighs with a small, defeated smile.

"Alright. Come with me and I'll have your _Naviband_ adjusted." You stand from where you'd originally been crouching, but you weren't quite sure when you'd bent down, and follow along obediently. Just as your father makes a step to follow, she requests him to remain where he is and when he opens his mouth to - quite obviously - protest, you shake your head and he backs down with a stubborn, 'Very well.'

The shop pet weaves her way between aisles with you right on her tail. She leads you around the counter and into a back room. There are leashes and collars on the coat hooks, some specialized medical equipment, three chairs lined in a row, a stool and a computer. It reminds you of a hospital room except the walls are a very light brown instead of a sterile, cold white. It eases your nerves a bit and you suppose that's why the room was painted to feel more comfortable than professional. She pats one of the chairs with a small hand and smiles at you. "You can wait here. I'll go fetch him and then we'll run through the procedures."

Before you can nod in response, she's flitted through a different door that leads behind the cages. Being isolated in this room, you can't watch as she opens the cage to bring him to you though you can only assume that your dad can from his position outside. You sit in one of the comfortable gray chairs and tap your foot impatiently. You're just about to check the time when she backs into the door, bent down and physically dragging the boy into the room. It seems that despite how thin he appears he's still rather heavy or she just doesn't have the physical strength. You sit up from your seat and raise your eyebrows in concern. "Are you okay? Do you need help?" You ask. She grunts a bit as she tugs his limp body the rest of the way inside the room.

"No." She sighs and drops his upper body onto the floor with a thud that makes you wince even though you feel no pain. However you notice that the boy's eyes are sharp and he acts as if he felt nothing. "He's just being difficult."

You run your fingers through your hair with a defeated smile. "Difficult? Is he like this often?"

"Difficult is an understatement for Dave."

You tilt your head. "Dave?" She claps her hands together.

"Right, registration and such. Let's get to that then."

She spends a few moments trying to get Dave into a chair but the effort was fruitless. She sighs in frustration at his childish behaviour, mumbling something to herself and makes her way to the stool. She scoots in to the computer and begins to run you through the mandatory physical and economic aspects of registration. She brought a piece of machinery over with a lot of knobs and edges. If she hadn't clarified what it was for, you honestly would be scared that it would hurt or something. It's just to scan the credibility of your family's crest from your _Naviband_. You wish the government would come up with less intimidating devices for this sort of thing.

"Okay. Before I permanently link your _Naviband_ with the one I'll be giving Dave, I want to walk you through some things. Laws and mandatory things and also just some quirks about Dave specifically." You nod as you listen. "Good. No mating pets with other pets unauthorized. There's a branch in your local government building created specifically for pet breeding and handling. Also, your credibility number will be effected if your pet does something illegal or against common morals. If your credibility number becomes too low, you will be charged and Dave will be detained, possibly euthanized. If you are incarcerated even once, Dave will be detained and be ineligible for adoption again. You won't be allowed to adopt another pet. Also, don't forget the golden rule; no romantic relations with your pet. The law forbids it. Do you understand?"

You nod quickly. You never realized how strict the laws were. No wonder everything seemed so unnaturally pleasant, not that you'd admit something like that aloud.

"Excellent. Now, before everything, I want to be sure you definitely want Dave. He's the most likely out of all of our pets to get you in trouble."

You're confused by this.

"His personality I mean. He's mouthy and rude and immature. He works on impulse and goes at his own pace. None of the trainers were able to break him, but due to age they wouldn't euthanize him. He was supposed to go in for euthanization next week-" from the corner of your eye you notice him visibly tense up, "-but if you adopt him, he may have a chance. However he's... difficult."

The way she describes it does make it a bit more difficult, however your determination to make him yours is rather strong and overshadows any insecurities. After a moment of appearing to mull over your options, you nod your head eagerly. You explain how you're entirely sure you want Dave and to go ahead and hook him up with a _Naviband_. You don't know how Dave feels about being adopted by someone dorky like you, but you don't really care. You're not supposed to care. You know you're doing something good by doing this as well. It makes you feel a bit giddy.

She tugs your wrist forward and flinches as if you're going to hurt her for being rough. She mutters an apology but you just wave it off. The process isn't very long. Actually, it's exactly like when you had your own _Naviband_ linked to your father's when you were little. She just scans and the computer takes care of the rest of the codes and such. Once Dave's is programmed properly, she approaches him with slow and cautious steps and when he isn't looking, she manages to clip the band on with a click of the lock. He swears when he feels a small chock through his skin and he flicks his wrist rather violently as if it would throw the band off. She has you write down a few more things such as signatures, numbers and dates. Then she stands to grab a blue leash and collar similar to your family crest's colour, but you stop her.

"Wait... red. I want them to be red. Like his eyes."

She looks at you for a moment in slight confusion and then switches the blue items for their red counterparts. She clips the collar around his neck and attaches the leash before handing it over to you. She grabs a cloth from a cabinet and clips it around his body as a cloak to keep him a bit warm since pets weren't allowed to wear clothing in shops due to most customers wanting to see the entire deal. This was part of the reason why the minimum eligible age was eighteen.

"His tags for his collar are being made in the other room. You can go out and wait and I'll bring them out to you, then the payment transaction can be made. Is that alright?"

You tug lightly against the leash, but something about it doesn't really feel right. You'll have to take it off when you get home but for now you're satisfied when Dave takes an obedient step forward. You'll let him do his own thing eventually. Sort of. You need to clothe him proper when you get home as well. That'll be fun. "Yeah." You reply softly, more focused on Dave than anything. She scurries off and you end up pulling Dave along out to where your father was waiting. He stands when he sees you and relaxes a little.

"John, how did it go?"

"Good. Yeah... very. Very well." You chirp in response. "His name is Dave."

Surprisingly, Dave keeps his gaze on the ground. A sign of submission you believe. You raise an eyebrow in suspicion at this. He didn't once act submissive like this around you... what made your father so special? You feel a strange twinge of jealousy. You'll have to break him on your own time. You'll teach him eventually. He'll be submissive to you specially. The pet shop worker calls for your father's attention and he makes his way over to take care of any other paperwork and such, as well as to grab Dave's tags. The moment he leaves, Dave's head turns back up and he turns a bit to look at you. You pout a bit, upset with his lack of desire to show submission around you.

"Stop it. If you're trying to pout, it's not working. You look more like you're trying to imitate a duck."

You stamp your foot down against the ground. "Disrespectful much? I just saved your behind from being put down and you say thanks with sass?"

He blows a bit of air through his teeth and it almost comes out as a whistle. He looks to the side and hums as if he's actually thinking about it. "Yeah, pretty much." The worker was right. He was going to be a pain in the ass to deal with. You pinch the bridge of your nose with a sigh.

"I'll break you. Just you wait. You'll be submitting to me just like you did my father, if not further. Just watch. I'll show you." He snorts with a smirk and it makes you so _angry_ but despite knowing how difficult he's going to be, you see this as a challenge and God forbid any Egbert back down from a proper challenge.

This is a game and you're going to win.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> glad to see that people are interested!!
> 
> i have this honestly all planned out at this point, but right now i'm going through a move to another state so i might not be able to get much else out if i don't get another chapter or two done before the 18th
> 
> if you want to keep up with me or maybe even fic updates, you can find me at misskuryo.tumblr.com!!
> 
> if i make fic updates, i'll try to tag it as #ywbfm

### ==> Be the bratty, unsure pet

The ride to your new home is quiet for the reason simply being that you refuse to talk. John tried to start a conversation or two with you much to his father's displeasure, however you chose to ignore his attempts with quiet glances which appeased the oldest male. A status issue, was your explanation for his discomfort with his son's friendly advances. John gave up after a while which was more than enough for you.

Instead you're drinking in your surroundings. You run your fingers across the grooves in the leather seat and get used to the bumpy feeling against your skin. You notice the smudges on the passenger seat window from John leaning his head against it. You notice how the mirrors are turned slightly too far (you think, anyway), you notice the lights on the dashboard and become mesmerized by the way the needles move back and forth. You've never seen the inside of a car before. At least, a car like this. You've been in the back of a truck before, however you never really saw much. It was enclosed and when the door was shut, you and many others were shut into a chilling darkness with the only protection being transport carriers. It's not a memory you're fond of, but it's not the worst one either. You just never talk about it much like a lot of things. 'Perks' of living as a pet. 

Looking out of the window you see kids playing in their tiny, American dream, picket-fence yards and adults walking their pets along the sidewalk. There's notable differences between everyone. Whether it be biological appearance or just the clothing that they wear. Everyone was dressed up so... oddly. Not bad, but it seemed a little arrogant. It's more than you were used too, so extravagant than being in your birthday suit jammed in a cage while hundreds of unknown faces dropped by for brief periods of time to examine your exposed body. The pets were near entirely covered and for some reason clothing to this extent just seems like such a foreign concept to you. 

The sun is too bright for your eyes. 'Hopefully,' you think to yourself a bit absently, 'John can help me with that.' Everything appears so much more vivid without the florescent lighting of the backrooms you were kept in when not on display for the world to see. Even more surprising to you, you didn't think natural light would be something you would ever see. You were already beginning to accept the fact that you were going to be euthanized. A very fleeting wonder passed through, you hope that maybe John will be kind enough to let you sit outside for a little bit during the nicer days to soak in a little sun. You don't want to be trapped inside like they did with you in the store. You know that you should be tanner than you are, considering where you're supposed to originate from. Owners have criticized you blatantly about it before. 

The car pulls into a rather fancy looking house. At least, you would assume fancy. It's bigger than you're used to. The house appears to be multiple stories high and it's a little intimidating. You don't move as John and his father unbuckle themselves and collect their belongings. You glance down at your _Naviband_ and it's blinking with a green light. You weren't trained with them so you have no idea what they do. Well, you might have been, but if you were ever taught then you most certainly weren't paying attention. 

"Dave?" You jump a little in surprise and look up to see John turned in his seat and staring at you curiously. You note that his father is already out of the car and making his way up to the front door. You assume he's unlocking it. "Are you alright?" 

You cough a bit, beginning to feel nervous. No, wait, what did your brother tell you? Dirk said something... something before he was adopted. Strider's aren't nervous people. Strider's don't get nervous and goddammit, you're a born and raised Strider even if your roots are in serving. You won't run your mouth. Fuck no. Running your mouth is something you do when you're nervous and nervous is most certainly not you. It makes you look like a fucking idiot. You raise an eyebrow in mock disbelief. "Alright? I'm king of alright. I'm cool, man. Cooler than the freezer in your kitchen. Cooler than the fucking arctic. I'm so chill that I'm a block of motherfucking ice-" The words are pouring out of your mouth quicker than you can stop them. You actually want to hit yourself. Everything you just said sounds so ridiculously stupid and so... not Strider. Before you can dig a deeper hole than the one you're in, John laughs and you feign offense.

"Nervous Dave?" He has this little shit eating grin on his face and oh how you long to hit him so hard that it flies off. You bite back the urge because while you're voluntarily a little shit, you're not stupid enough to strike your master and lower the both of your credibility numbers. You hate how he knows you're nervous even more.

"I'm _not_ nervous." You hiss back but he simply snickers.

"Then let's go." He unlocks his door then pushes it open to climb out. You wait a few moments before following in suit. There's a slight breeze and you feel a little too exposed in public (which comes as a surprise considering the fact that you've been naked in front of strangers your entire life. Maybe it's the kids in the neighborhood?) so you grab onto the cloak edges and tug it closer to your skin, scurrying along the pavement behind John. When you step inside to the house, your gaze scans across the room and you're doing that 'drinking in your surroundings' thing again. John's saying something and you have to force yourself to tune in to catch it.

"-and we don't have an area set up for you just yet, so you're going to have to stay in my room until we do." He uses his hands to push you in the direction of his room and you bark at him to keep his little paws off (ironic choice of words, you feel proud of yourself) but he snickers that annoying little snicker again, continuing to do exactly what you told him not to. You believe he knows that you wont do anything about it despite your desire to not submit to him in any way, shape, or form. 

'You win this time John.' You think bitterly as you walk along. 

He pushes you up the stairs and straight across into his room. Before stepping in, you saw his father down the hallway, making his way into a room on the right. The door closes and your eyes are assaulted by the crappiest assortment of posters you've ever seen. Your face twists in distaste.

"Let's get you in some clothes of mine until I can take you out shopping tomorrow." You hear John mumble, but you don't respond. You're walking around the room and most of your concentration is taken by examining the way things are set and placed. A bedroom is such a foreign concept. Actually, now that a bedroom is mentioned, you look up from your observing the way a desk stands and let your eyes graze the scene in front of you.

"John?" 

"Yeah, Dave?"

"Where's my cage?" You're genuinely curious. You've always slept in a cage. He seems horribly unprepared for taking care of a pet if he doesn't have a cage.

"I'm not giving you one." That was a blow if you've ever felt one. You shoot a hand out to grab the edge of prior mentioned desk and steady yourself.

"No... cage? Where do I sleep? I can't sleep without a cage John. It's common knowledge that a cage is a pet's best friend. I'm surprised you were allowed to adopt being so unprepared for such a huge task such as taking care of-"

"Dave," he claps his hand on your shoulder making you jump. You didn't notice him approach you, which is a first. Usually you're sharper than that. "Relax. You're just gonna sleep at the end of my bed or something. If you're uncomfortable with that, I can just set up a blanket nest on the floor. I'm not stuffing you into a cage." You look at him like he's crazy. "Don't worry about it, okay? We'll just handle it when we get there. Let's get you clothed first and foremost, maybe get some food into you. A lot's been happening today. You're probably starving."

You do admit that you are a bit hungry. You shakily nod you head, unsure of where to place yourself so you just return to examining his room. The posters appear kind of old so you assume they are. God knows how long he's had them. The edges of the nightstand are scratched and the bed frame has dust in the spots where his mattress can't reach. There's little stickers lining it, most of which are half torn off as if someone had put them there then years later tried to take them off. Your eyes drift up to the bedding and spot blue sheets and a navy comforter with little green... things all over it.

"John?" You ask again. He sighs a little.

"Yes, Dave?"

"What are these?" You tug on the comforter a bit as if you were going to bring it closer and he squints his eyes from his distance. 

"Slimers." The answer seems so simple, but you have no idea what he's talking about. He continues going through his closet, picking things out but notices your silence and continues. "They're from a really old and fantastic movie called Ghostbusters." You make a sound of acknowledgement and run your fingers along it. The fabric was soft, but cold. You've never experienced anything like it. 

"Ah hah!" You're still examining the bed when he exclaims his find. You turn to see what he's talking about and he tugs out an outfit for you to wear. "Here, you can just wear this for now. Anything else I have is a bit too big for you but this might just work. It's kind of old, sorry about that, but it'll do until tomorrow." He has you sit on the bed before holding up the long sleeved shirt and eyeing you to see if it'll fit. "Perfect." He hums to himself then tosses them at you. "Get dressed. Tell me when you're done. I'll sit outside for now."

You nod slowly and he smiles before grabbing his phone off of the desk and bouncing out the door with a gentle click of the knob. You toss the clothes onto the bed and unclip your cloak, letting it drop to the floor. You let your fingers run over the different fabric types and hum as you take it on. First you grab the pair of blank boxers that he lent you, sliding them on and adjusting yourself accordingly. Clothing feels so... weird. Next are the pants. They felt soft. Like the short of cloth you would wear to bed. You assume it's just so. It's dark blue. Darker than his sheets but lighter than the navy on the comforter. There are little baby blue wavy cloud looking designs on them. You pull them up but there's an odd popping sound that scares you a bit until you realize that it's just static. The shirt is last, with a dark blue base but the sleeves were a dull, worn gray. You tug the sleeves up to your elbows, feeling a little less like a dork and a little more like you're comfortable. You almost don't notice the socks on the bed. 

Once you're fully set, entirely dressed and comfortable and used to walking in them, you shuffle your way over to the door to open it and peer out. "I'm done." You mutter in a small voice. John just looks up from where he's sitting on the floor and smiles.

"Cool. I just texted Karkat. He's gonna come over and introduce you to Jade." 

"Jade?"

"His pet that he got last year. I think you two will get along nicely."

You deadpan at him and he just giggles a bit. You really don't want to meet anyone so early, but you don't have a say in this unfortunately. "Fine." You mutter after moments of sitting in silence. Sliding back into the room, you take a seat at the foot of his bed but he goes to peer out of the window expectantly as if it's going to make his friend come any faster.

Surprisingly it's almost as if it does. It feels like moments later but it could have easily been maybe 15 minutes or so, in bursts a tiny and very angry looking boy with a slightly taller, bubbly looking girl behind him. 

"Where is the shit?" Angry boy huffs, looking around before his eyes rest on you. "Look at him, he looks fucking stupid in that shitty little get-up. John can't you ever pull something socially fucking acceptable out of that little shit box you call a closet?" He's got quiet the tongue on him and you resist the urge to raise your eyebrow. "I can't trust you with a goddamn thing, can I? Do I have to fucking call Rose and Kanaya?"

"Ugh, Karkat," John whines, "Don't pull the Kanaya card on me. It's just until I can get out and buy him clothes of his own."

"And you think I trust you with that godly endeavor? Are you sure I shouldn't have Rose lend Kanaya to you? I don't trust you to pull out something entirely fucking stupid and so goddamn you to wrap this pet up in and flaunt his pale ass to the world. He needs some fucking sun, too. God what kind of deep dark depths did you crawl out of? You look like a fucking ghost. And not-" he cuts in by holding up the palm of his hand before John can speak, "-the Ghostbusters kind."

Jade, you assume, slides down onto the floor next to you with a large grin and it's here that you can get a good look at her. Her skin is amazingly tan. She looks Spanish. Her hair is long and black and it frames her face nicely. She has big, bright green eyes and the frames on her round glasses seem very thin. You can't quite tell what she's wearing with a dark green cloak clipped around her shoulders. "Hi!" She chirps and you feel a little out of place with her chipper attitude. "Name's Jade Harley. John told us a lot about you over text while you were getting dressed and stuff!" She holds out her hand and you feel even more knocked out of the circle.

With slight hesitance, you curl your fingers into a fist and hold it out. It only takes her a moment to realize what you're doing before returning the gesture and bumping your fists together. "Dave. Dave Strider." You mutter.

"Nice to meet you Dave!"

Karkat huffs. "Does everyone else know about this shocking knew development?" He looked at John with boredom that was easy to see through. 

"I've mentioned him to Rose, but I haven't talked to anyone else yet, no. I'm sure Dad's telling Jane and Jake himself, so if they find out they'll call me." John brings a hand up and scratches his nose nervously before giving you and Jade a smile.

Jade looks up at Karkat with large puppy dog eyes and you can see the metaphorical tail wagging in excitement. "I like him a lot. Can we stay for a while, sir? Please?" You feel thrown off when she says sir. God you're not going to get used to that. Probably not ever. Karkat raises his eyebrows, waving Jade off.

"John, have you even fed the damn boy? He looks malnourished to all hell." He bites and John jumps a bit.

"Shit! Right, I forgot. You guys stay here, I'll go fix a snack for everyone since Dad's gonna be cooking soon." And before anyone can even get a word in, he's flitted out of the room down to the kitchen, leaving you alone with Karkat and Jade. You instantly feel small.

Karkat eyes you and you shrink a bit under the gaze. Jade's chatting your ear off, but honestly you're not entirely paying attention. Karkat has you pinned. Usually you'd just resist, but you just can't with him. Maybe it's the attempts to break you finally setting in. That stone, owner like gaze was hard to not cower under sometimes. John simply didn't have that, but everyone else did it seems. The most you're able to drink in about Karkat is his milky white hair, pale skin and dark eyes. Everything similar to you, aside from the eyes. Rather than red, they're a dark brown, almost solid black. His eyebrows furrow a bit and he vaguely looks like he's about to walk over and hit you before you're saved by the bell and John comes in with something that smells absolutely amazing. He sets the plate down on the center of the floor and you honestly waste no time into digging into whatever's sitting there. You're not sure what it is, you're not sure you care. It's edible and it's fucking delicious and goddamn you'd be lying if you said you didn't feel hungry enough for it. Something like this isn't something they gave you at the shop so you were more than grateful. 

For the next few hours, you continue to stuff your face while tuning into Jade's stories or Karkat and John's banter. Maybe... you can warm up to this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok im not very confident in my karkat  
> but im even more so not confident in my dave
> 
> im so sorry if either of them are ooc omg


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shit shit shit sorry it took me so long to get this one out!! moving is a stressful thing and lots of bad stuff has been happening but i'm trying my best here
> 
> updates @ soltunacaptor.tumblr.com/tagged/ywbfm

There's a small inkling to you that Dave might just be leaning in a bit to the idea of being an obedient pet. It's just a feeling. You see it in the way that he subtly twitches when you say anything to him that vaguely resembles an order or the way his comments have a very slight less amount of bite to them. It could just be you, that is. You could just be overthinking things and trying to delude yourself, but as long as the behaviour continues then you're perfectly fine with deluding yourself with a fantasy.

What an odd choice of words, you think. 

However, he hasn't once yet actually disobeyed an order. Perhaps the phrasing makes it seem like he has, but Dave has proven to be a lot more obedient than you originally thought. His disobedience solely lies in the venemous comments and the amount of time it takes him to do something you ask of him, but he's never ignored what he's been told to do. You begin to think that all the time they spent trying to break him in, while not prominant right away, did manifest in his everyday behaviour. It's hard to tell really, but in simpler terms, you think the years of 'trying' to break him actually worked. He probably doesn't even notice it himself. All he's ever known are orders. He could just believe that he's doing what any human does regardless of status. The society they live in currently was developed hundreds of years before the two of you were even born. You've lived your life in luxury, being told from infancy that pets are somewhat akin to slaves but treated a lot better (per your research due to interest in the culture of history long before what some people would think of as the End-To-Remake of the world) and he's lived his life confined in the cramped space of an over stuffed cage with people sharing the same unfortunate fate as him, listening to people bark orders and following them almost as natural as if they were part of his everyday routine for survival. In a way that's exactly what it was too.

He could truly be compared somewhat to a dog, which you find anything but endearing.

Personally you can't really bring yourself to see Dave as something as animalistic as that. It's not in your nature to see other human beings as something inherently below you. Of course, there is that natural desire you have to rule over him, but more like he's just a step behind you rather than an entire leap. Not necessarily that you see him as your pet and yourself his master, but you see this more as a vague circumstance of saving him. Not that you would admit it, of course. You sincerely believe he wouldn't take a thought like that very kindly. If you told him you saw yourself saving him from a life like that, you could just see him throwing a fit. The classic 'I'm not someone you can save' argument. Perhaps saving him was the wrong phrasing for a situation like this.

What you truly want to do is give him a taste at a life he could _have_ , rather than attempt to fix the one that he _had_. If that makes any sense.

Suddenly you feel like your thoughts are off topic.

You raise your hand to knock on the door but just before your knuckles connect with the wood you realize you would be knocking on your own door and that makes little to no sense. Lowering your hand to the handle, you wrap your fingers around the cold metal and twist the knob letting yourself in without warning. Your room is oddly warmer than the rest of the house being that your father is more accustomed to the colder air of Washington, but there was a heater set up comfortably in the far corner of your room to help accommodate Dave with his comfortability lying in the ridiculous heat of the Texan lands he originates from. Your eyes drift over to the pile of blankets and pillows that are stacked up and upon any quick glance from someone other than yourself or Dave would be immediately taken as just a normal haphazardly thrown pile of laundry, but you know better.

"Dave," you call towards the pile's direction, "Dave wake up. We have things to do today."

There's a shifting underneath the warm fabric-filled depths and you swear for a split moment you can see a small tuft of stark blond hair, but it's disappeared just as fast. You drag your feet over to the pile of blankets and smack your hands against it knowing it won't actually hurt Dave. If you're lucky, he'll just slightly feel the pressure. "Dave, Dave, Dave, Dave, Dave--" 

He groans in protest over your attempts to annoy him into waking. Once he's coherent you know he'll like the news you have to share. You continue calling his name over and over before he finally throws the blankets off of himself and gives you a rotten look which only widens the smile on your face. He opens his mouth to make a comment about your excited behaviour but you cut him off quickly.

"I managed to convince dad to let me borrow the car for the day. We can finally go shopping for you and get you your own clothes!" Bingo. He sat up quickly, face slightly red from sleep and hair sticking up wildly but the slight shine in his eye let you know that you've captured his interest. 

"Shopping, you say?" His voice is a little hoarse and it brings a laugh to your voice.

"Shopping, yeah. So get dressed. Rose and Kanaya are gonna join us." He looks a tad bit dejected, but recovers just as quick with a nod, tossing the blankets off of himself and clambering out into the cold room with a shiver. Rather than stick around to watch him dress, you decide it's best to wait downstairs. You let him know where to find you when he's done and leave as soon as he dives into the small space reserved for him in your closet. 

Your teeth clench a little at the sound of your shoes thumping against the wood of the stairs when you walk down. Perhaps you should change into something lighter, you think. Like sandles or whatever. You rub your hand absently against the back of your neck as you round the railing towards the direction of the kitchen. The faint smell of vanilla baking materials makes your nose scrunch up, but you're so used to being involunarily assaulted by the sugary sweet devil's scent that you think little of it. You're just happy you lost the chub you had as a kid because of being fed cake so much.

You tap your fingernails against the wood frame of the doorway to get your dad's attention. He turns his head at the sound of your arrival, but doesn't say anything until he's gotten the baked goods out of the oven and he's pulling the oven mitts off in no time. 

"Hey," you wave your hand a little at an angle where you know he can see it as if you didn't know he still had his attention on you, "Can I get the keys?"

His shoulders sag a little, making you raise an eyebrow in concern but he still doesn't say anything as his hand dives into his pocket in search for the car keys. He makes a motion to toss them to you and you're fully prepared, but he stops midair, giving you an odd look.

"What?" You're not liking how silent he's being.

"Watch yourself, John." He warns. "Don't get closer to that child than you need to be."

You feel defensive out of nowhere. It hits you like a tidal wave and your foot slides back an inch. "Excuse me?"

"I said watch yourself. He's a pet. Don't get too attached. They never last. They're just like dogs."

You drop your hands to your sides for a moment in shock before bringing them up and crossing them over your chest, your eyebrows pressing towards the center of your forehead. "He's not a dog, dad. He's a human being just like you or me. He's my pet, I'll treat him how I so please. You have no right to tell me how to take care of my own property."

"I paid for him, John."

"Did I ask you to? No."

Your father's face hardens and you know if you continue this banter, you're going to lose car privileges. You're in too good a mood today to fight with him then feel a bit guilty about getting Dave excited.

"Look, dad, I'm not going to fight you on this. I'm at a perfectly safe distance." Whatever that means. You're just saying shit to get your father off your case. "Can I just get the keys to the car? I'm getting sick of seeing him in resized hand-me-downs." Your hip juts out a bit to emphasize your frustration with his odd behaviour and you notice that he's about to say something, but snaps his mouth shut and throws you the keys. You mutter your thanks, weighing the keys in your hand while turning to make your way out. You think he says something to you, but you've tuned him out no longer interested in whatever he has to say.

You spot Dave bouncing down off of the bottom step and he turns catching your eye. "I was just about to come find you." He admits and you shake your head with a smile.

"Nah, it's cool. Come on," you dangle the keys up in the air, "let's get out of here. We have to pick up Rose and Kanaya, maybe get something to eat so you're not bitching on the ride." Dave puffs out his cheeks and tries to make a retort but you smack your hand against his cheek lightly making him jump. "Quiet. Let's go."

Dave's eyes harden at the harsher tone of your voice, but he doesn't say anything more. Making demands and orders sometimes seems to be the only way to shut him up even if it's not a foolproof plan. He follows you obediently, walking around to the passengers side of the car. He let his fingers linger over the passenger's seat car door, but side steps to the far back and you look at him curiously however you don't say anything. It might look a little odd if he's in the front with you, now that you think about it. 

You both climb in and you have to refresh your memory a little about certain aspects of driving before you're comfortable actually starting up the vehicle and pulling out. You're a little nervous, but as soon as you're actually on the road everything begins to flood back as familiar territory. Dave clears his throat a bit to subtly get your attention and you peer at him from the mirror. 

"Where.. are we meeting your friends?"

 _Your friends._

That sounds so odd to you, but you remember then that he's only met Karkat and Jade. He's never met Rose and Kanaya or Jake and Dirk or Jane and Roxy. You would prefer he never met Vriska and Terezi. Terezi might freak him out a bit. You hum through a sigh and shrug your shoulders a bit. "We'll be picking them up from Rose's apartment complex. It's further in the city though, a ways away."

Dave tilts his head. "She lives in an apartment?"

You make a noise, thinking about whether or not her living space would be considered an apartment per se. "Yeaaaah... a penthouse apartment. She's really wealthy. More so than us currently. I mean, my family has ties in Crockercorp, but it's not mine yet and dad is kind of reluctant to let me live the life of luxury or whatever. Rose is a young book author, though, and she makes use of the money she gets from her novels." You peer at him from the rear view mirror. He looks confused and surprised at the same time. It's quite amusing to you, actually.

"What's a penthouse?"

"It's kind of like a house that takes up the entire top floor of an apartment building. Her's is pretty fancy considering the area she lives in."

He goes silent. You take that as a cue to get some thinking done. You may not necessarily have to buy clothes for Dave, considering Kanaya will be there and Rose often lets Kanaya stitch her some clothes. If she has the cloth for it, perhaps you could see if Rose will have Kanaya make him a few pieces of clothing to go out in public in or perhaps just make the clothes he's wearing now more socially acceptable. You glance at him again and he notices it, raising an eyebrow in concern but not actually saying anything. You shake your head a little, returning to the road. They'll help you figure something out. You're sure of it.

 

Dave was captivated when he stepped foot into the apartment. He wasn't so phased by the lobby or the elevator, but the apartment itself was a huge hit for him. You watched him as he couldn't stop looking around. His eyes had to have scanned the room once, twice, three times maybe before Rose had scurried out with Kanaya on her heels. The clicking of Rose's heels and the soft tap of Kanaya's flats filled the empty foyer. The prim blonde greeted you with a smile and extended arms, giving you a gentle hug. "John, it's great to see you. What brings you to the city?" She stepped back a bit, risking a small glance at Dave before returning her attention to you.

"I was hoping to have your help," you started, "with Dave here." You gestured to your pet who straightened up now that the attention was on him. "I haven't bought him any clothes and I don't really trust myself to dress him properly so I was wondering if you and Kanaya would want to come out shopping with us?"

Rose hummed with a small nod. "I see. Have you anything more acceptable for him to wear for going out in public? The comparison between how he's dressed now to how pets of other caliber are going to be dressed has a vast difference. He may just be uncomfortable in that environment."

You looked to the side. "A-ctually," you drew out, "I was betting on Kanaya being able to do something with what he's wearing now. At least make it look less like... I dunno, pyjamas."

Kanaya perked up at the mention of being able to toy with Dave's fashion a bit. Rose simply smiled and nodded. She spared a few words to Kanaya who agreed through obedient little nods, then scurried over to Dave's side, taking him by the arm gently and urging him to follow her. Dave glanced back at you with a nervous look but you simply smiled and shooed him off, much to his displeasure. 

"Now John, let's catch up a little, shall we?" Rose grinned, gesturing in the direction of her living room. You follow with a curt nod.


End file.
